Where Are Theatre Organs Today?

Just as the name implies, Theatre Pipe Organs were pipe organs built for theatres.  From the early days of the nickelodeon until shortly after the advent of talkies, almost all Theatre Organs were installed in our Grand Movie Palaces.  In England, organs continued being installed in theatre until well into the 1940s.  

Some theatre organs remain in their original homes.  Famous examples include the dual-console Wurlitzer at the Radio City Music Hall in New York or the highly embellished organ at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham AL.   But original installations remain in small theatres like the Ironwood Theatre in Michigan's Upper Penninsula or the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman Montana.  

Some organs have been reinstalled in movie palaces like the Mighty Wurlitzer in Walt Disney's El Capitan Theatre.  It was originally installed in San Francisco's famed Fox Theatre on Market Street.

In addition to theatres, these majestic instruments now find themselves in churches, community centers, museums, and even in private residences.  

There were around three thousand of these grand instruments built between 1910 and 1940.  Today, we estimate that about one thousand remain.  Most Theatre Organs are located in the United States, England, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.  A few have made their way to other places in the world including Germany, Japan, and France. There are also a handful of electronic organ installations listed that regularly provide public concerts. 

Explore the links on the right sidebar to see where Theatre Organs are today by country. Or see a full-page map here

NOTE: Map is not fully populated yet with all of the organs in our database. If your instrument is not listed, please Contact us.